# US 10,309,826 B2 · Sensor device and method of producing the same

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- Number: US 10,309,826 B2
- Document ID: US10309826B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/391,141
- Filed: 2016-12-27
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-03
- Assignees: OMRON Corporation
- Applicants: Omron Corporation
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Mizusaki; Hirotaka Nakashima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309826B2

## CPC

- G01J 1/0271: {Housings; Attachments or accessories for photometers}
- B23K 26/082: Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head
- B23K 26/206: {Laser sealing}
- B23K 26/244: Overlap seam welding
- B23K 26/26: of rectilinear seams
- B23K 33/004: {Filling of continuous seams}
- H01H 11/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of electric switches (processes specially adapted for manufacture of rectilinearly movable switches having a plurality of operating members associated with different sets of contacts, e.g. keyboards, H01H13/88)
- H01H 35/00: Switches operated by change of a physical condition (operated by change of magnetic or electric field H01H36/00; thermally-actuated switches H01H37/00)
- B23K 2101/12: Vessels
- B23K 2101/36: Electric or electronic devices
- B23K 2103/05: {Stainless steel}
- G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)

## Abstract

A sensor device includes a body case provided with an opening, and a body cover assembled to the body case to cover the opening. The body cover has at an outer peripheral portion thereof an overlapping region overlapping a portion of the body case located at a peripheral edge of the opening. The body cover is fixed to the body case by providing a welded portion surrounding the opening using laser-welding at a portion distant from an end surface of the body cover in a boundary of the overlapping region of the body cover and a portion of the body case overlapping the overlapping region.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sensor device comprising:
a body case provided with an opening; and
a body cover assembled to the body case to cover the opening,
the body cover having at an outer peripheral portion thereof an overlapping region overlapping a portion of the body case located at a peripheral edge of the opening,
the body cover being fixed to the body case by providing a welded portion surrounding the opening using laser-welding at a portion distant from an end surface of the body cover in a boundary of the overlapping region of the body cover and a portion of the body case overlapping the overlapping region,
wherein a step is provided at the portion of the body case located at the peripheral edge of the opening and the body cover is fitted to the step, and
wherein:
when the opening is observed in a direction along a normal to its opening plane, the step has an outer shape of a polygon larger than a shape of the body cover; and
at two adjacent sides of the step having the outer shape of the polygon, an end surface of the step abuts against the end surface of the body cover.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the welded portion is provided at a portion distant outward from the opening in the boundary of the overlapping region of the body cover and the portion of the body case overlapping the overlapping region.

### Claim 3

A method of producing a sensor device, comprising:
disposing a body cover on a body case to cover an opening of the body case and also allow the body cover to have an outer peripheral portion overlapping a portion of the body case located at a peripheral edge of the opening; and
fixing the body cover to the body case by providing a welded portion surrounding the opening so as to bond the body case and the body cover using laser-welding by way of scanning a laser beam along the opening to irradiate therewith a portion distant inward from an end surface of the body cover in a boundary of an overlapping region of the body cover overlapping the portion of the body case located at the peripheral edge of the opening and a portion of the body case overlapping the overlapping region,
wherein in disposing the body cover on the body case, the body cover is fit to a step provided at the portion of the body case located at the peripheral edge of the opening, and
wherein in disposing the body cover on the body case, when the opening is observed in a direction along a normal to its opening plane, at two adjacent sides of the step, which has an outer shape of a polygon larger than a shape of the body cover, an end surface of the body cover is abutted against an end surface of the step to position the body cover relative to the body case.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of producing a sensor device according to claim 3, wherein in fixing the body cover to the body case, the laser beam is scanned to thus irradiate therewith a portion distant outward from the opening in the boundary of the overlapping region of the body cover and the portion of the body case overlapping the overlapping region.